Hmmm, that's odd...

The stories always go around, saying that the word "tips" - the cash we leave for servers, cabbies, and blackjack dealers - derives from the acronym for "to insure prompt service." No, it doesn't, but people will continue to aver that it does. 

Same with the person who pops up and says, "You know where they get the word 'news,' doncha? It's because the news comes from North, East, West, and South. So they call it the 'news'!"

Wrong again, Kemo Sabe, but closer. The letters in the word "news," when spelled backwards, do form an old word that's fallen into disuse in modern times. That word is "swen," meaning "a person who will believe anything they read."

English scholars call it a "back construction" when a word exists, and then people come along claiming that it meant something different all along. The reply from  linguists and professors to that claim is universally "Nuh-uh."

You know the word "odd," meaning "out of the normal, unconventional, a bit bizarre." It turns out that the world of psychology, without a shred of irony, uses the acronym ODD to categorize a style of bad childhood behavior.

ODD, or Oppositional defiant disorder, is defined as "a behavior disorder in which a child displays a pattern of an angry or cranky mood, defiant or combative behavior, and vindictiveness toward people in authority. The child's behavior often disrupts their daily routine, including activities within the family and at school."

If left untreated, ODD will always result in egregious adult misbehavior, especially when a child of any age is influenced by crazy-haired goons.

The textbooks tell us that there are phases in the life of every child - particularly at the ages of 2, or 13, that are marked by defiance of authority, be it parental, educational, or civil. Such defiance is marked by arguing minute points ad infinitum, abject disobedience of rules, laws, and social conventions, and refusing to accept the results of a free and fair election. Even a child aged 75 years can be said to have ODD when the behavior last for more than six months.

Not that many kids have it - estimates say between 2% - 16% of children (more boys than girls) have it.

Unfortunately, many of the children dealing with ODD also manifest other behavioral problems, such as ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and DJT (Disappointing Judicial Tricks - the reliance on incompetent legal advice to push an illegal quest, or the complete inability to face truth and deal with it like an adult).

We also know that some children with ODD later on develop a more troublesome behavior pattern known as "conduct disorder," which is Antisocial behavior such as physically pushing other world leaders around, holding up borrowed religious tracts, or failing to observe basic health and safety pandemic procedures during a disease outbreak.

Take this simple test to see if the you or someone you love is dealing with ODD behavior:

Symptoms of ODD may include:

• Throwing repeated temper tantrums
• Excessively arguing with adults, especially those with authority
• Actively refusing to comply with requests and rules
• Trying to annoy or upset others, or being easily annoyed by others
• Blaming others for your mistakes
• Having frequent outbursts of anger and resentment
• Being spiteful and seeking revenge
• Swearing or using obscene language
• Saying mean and hateful things when upset

Again, remember: we're talking about children of all ages.